WINTER'S EDGE RED BLEND

Saracina

APPELLATION

Mendocino County

GRAPE VARIETIES

50% Grenache, 50% Field Blend (Grenache, Carignane, French Colombard)

WINEMAKERS

Alex MacGregor

TECHNICAL DATA

Acidity
3.23
Alcohol
14.5%

2018

90POINTS

Wine Enthusiast

MARCH 2021

Where To Buy VIEW BRAND PORTFOLIO

BACKGROUND

Saracina is located along the Upper Russian River in northern California’s wine country. The 400-acre ranch which includes a winery and sustainably farmed vineyards, is also home to a 140-year-old olive trees, vegetable gardens, beehives, and local birds and wildlife. The handcrafted, limited production Saracina wines reflect a conscious sense of this beautiful place in Mendocino County. Founded by husband and wife team John Fetzer and Patty Rock in 2001, Saracina has always been defined by a strong sense of family. In 2018, Marc Taub took on stewardship of Saracina, upholding the spirit of family ownership that has defined this iconic Mendocino County winery since inception.

TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES

This unique old vine field blend is vinified from grapes picked from two single vineyard sites on November 6th, 2018 (post frost). From the Casa Verde vineyard, planted in 1944, we harvested a field blend of old vine Carignane, Grenache and French Colombard. Casa Verde is dry farmed and certified organic with 75-year-old, head-pruned vines, planted on alluvial loam soils. These low-yielding vines produce small clusters (averaging one to two tons per acre) that impart firm structure and refreshing acidity to the blend. This incredibly unique fruit is complemented by a percentage of Grenache from the Niemi Vineyard, where red soils with volcanic influence yield grapes with a plush and jammy character that adds weight, texture, and ripeness to the final blend.

WINEMAKING & AGEING

The grapes were destemmed with 80% whole berries. Fermentation took place in open top fermenters. The free-run, drained juice underwent native malolactic fermentation, which took 12 months to complete. The wine was aged for 19 months in older Francois Freres barrels. The wine was bottled on July 31, 2020.

TASTING NOTES

Medium garnet colored, this southern French blend breaks all the rules in the best way possible! Crunchy red-fruited old vine Carignane combines with deeper Grenache character producing an irresistible wine with generous fruit, softs tannins, and firm acidity.